1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for supporting distribution of warning messages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Events like natural disasters, accidents, terrorist attacks etc. require to inform as many human beings and machines affected as soon as possible and with as accurate information as possible. In most cases, humans or machines in the vicinity of a specific location are affected and need quick information delivered with highest priority.
For instance, as an example illustrated in FIG. 1, one could think of a power plant accident. In such case the required actions could include the following processes and steps:
1. Inform any person in zone A: Go to Hospital xyz, and
2. Inform any person in zone B: Close windows and watch TV for news
3. Inform any machine (e.g. a local power plant or industrial production line) in zone B: Turn off to avoid worsening the impact of the emergency situation.
Conventional warning systems like sirens, broadcast radio, etc. are reaching everybody located within the respective reception area at once. For instance, currently different solutions are used, e.g., JMA in Japan (Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/tech/StandardizationGap/Tokyo2007/Presentations/9.MIC%20Murakami.pdf, and http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/Activities/telecommunications.html), EAS in the U.S. (Emergency Alert System, EAS, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Alert_System, and http://www.fema.gov/media/fact_sheets/eas.shtm) or SatWaS in Germany (Satellitengestützten Warnsystem SatWaS, http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/SatWaS, and http://www.bbk.bund.de/cln—007/nn—401590/DE/02_Themen/11_Zivilschutztechnik/04_Warnsyst/01_SatWas/SatWas_node.html_nnn=true). All these systems are based on broadcast TV or radio using mainly satellite communications to distribute the warning messages, therefore interrupting currently running programs. However, all systems are directed to comprehensive nationwide information of the country's total population in case of an emergency, natural catastrophe, case of defense, or the like. This means that traditionally no selective way of reaching a dedicated set of people is possible.
The 3GPP EWTS study (Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System)—documented in Technical Report 23.828—describes possible solutions for sending broadcast messages to attached terminals using variants of local broadcast technologies, like for instance CBS (Communication and Broadcast Service, MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service), etc. Its implementations are all based on layer-2, and, again, no means are provided for selecting recipients of the warning messages.
Another example of a warning system for earthquakes, which was developed by NTT, is based on best effort transmissions (see for reference https://506506.ntt.com/internet/jishin/). The system employs IPv6 multicast technology for providing Internet-based early-warnings that appear on the screens of IPv6-compatible computers. Similarly, CWarn.org has been developed as a global tsunami warning and alert system (www.cwarn.org). CWarn monitors global earthquake activity and alerts its members, via an SMS text message on their mobile phones, should a tsunami threat be forecast for their particular location. Both systems do not allow for a personalization of the warning message distribution process. Furthermore, both systems are strictly bound to the communication technology that is employed, i.e. to IPv6 multicast messages or to SMS text messages, respectively.